Lohengrin

In some German Arthurian literature, Lohengrin is the son of Parzival (Percival). He arrives in a boat pulled by swans to rescue and marry a maiden, but must leave her when she asks his identity. His story is a version of the Knight of the Swan legend.

Related Topics:
German - Arthurian - Parzival - Swans - Knight of the Swan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lohengrin first appears as "Loherangrin", the son of Parzival and Condwiramurs in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival. Loherangrin and his twin brother Kardeiz join their parents in Munsalvaesche when Parzival becomes the Grail King; Kardeiz later inherits their father's secular lands, and Loherangrin remains in Munsalvaeshe as a Grail Knight. These knights are sent out in secret to provide lords to kingdoms who have lost their protectors, and Loherangrin is eventually called to this duty in Brabant, where the duke has died without a male heir. His daughter fears the kingdom will be lost, but Loherengrin arrives in a boat pulled by a swan and offers to defend her, though he warns her she must never ask his name. He weds the duchess and serves as Duke of Brabant until one day when his beloved asks him fatal question. He explains his origin, and steps back onto his swan boat, never to return. Why Wolfram added the Knight of the Swan element, known at the time only from tales of Godfrey of Bouillon's ancestry, into Parzival is best known to himself, though it isn't the only altered versions of a popular story he uses in his narrative, (he makes Prester John the son of his character Feirefiz).

Related Topics:
Condwiramurs - Wolfram von Eschenbach - Parzival - Munsalvaesche - Grail - Brabant - Swan - Godfrey of Bouillon - Prester John - Feirefiz

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The story was picked up and expanded in the late 13th century Lohengrin by a certain "Nouhusius" or "Nouhuwius" who changed the character's name and tied the romance's Grail and Swan Knight elements into the history of the Holy Roman Empire. The story follows Wolfram's closely but adds certain details, (Princess Elsam's questioning of her husband occurs only after prodding by an antagonist who spreads rumors that Lohengrin isn't of noble blood) that distends the material to make a full romance (genre) romance.

Related Topics:
13th century - Holy Roman Empire - Romance (genre) romance

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the 15th century the story was taken up again for the anonymous Lorengel. In this version, the taboo against asking the protagonist about his mysterious origin is not extant, and Lorengel and his princess can live happily ever after.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1848 Richard Wagner adapted the taled into his popular opera Lohengrin, arguably the work through which Lohengrin's story is best known today. According to Wagner, the Knight of the Swan must leave Elsa because he has been imbued with mystical powers by the Grail, and those powers can only be maintained if their nature is kept secret. The most famous piece from Wagner's opera is the Bridal Chorus ("Here Comes the Bride"), still played at many Western weddings (excepting Jewish weddings, as Wagner was a notorious anti-Semite).

Related Topics:
1848 - Richard Wagner - Opera - Lohengrin - Bridal Chorus - Anti-Semite

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~